Israeli forces have confirmed the death of Wassem Hazem, a senior Hamas commander, during a military operation in the volatile city of Jenin on Friday. This marks the third consecutive day of a major Israeli offensive in the occupied West Bank.
According to the Israeli military, Hazem, who was identified as the head of Hamas operations in Jenin, was involved in multiple shooting and bombing attacks against Israeli targets. Alongside Hazem, two other Hamas fighters were killed in a drone strike as they attempted to escape from their vehicle. Israeli forces reported recovering weapons, explosives, and large amounts of cash from the vehicle.
In the nearby village of Zababdeh, residents described seeing a burnt-out car riddled with bullet holes after it crashed while being pursued by Israeli special forces. Villager Saif Ghannam recounted that one of the fleeing fighters was killed outside his home, with the drone strike shattering nearby windows. The second fighter was killed a short distance away.
The Israeli military’s operation in Jenin and Tulkarm, which began early Wednesday, has involved hundreds of troops and police. Armored vehicles, helicopters, and drones have been deployed, with bulldozers clearing roads to dismantle explosives planted by militant groups.
This escalation in the West Bank comes amid ongoing conflict between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing for nearly 11 months. In the first two days of the West Bank operation, at least 17 Palestinians were reported killed, including a commander from the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad in Tulkarm.
Since the outbreak of violence following Hamas’s attack on Israel last October, over 660 Palestinians—both combatants and civilians—have been killed in the West Bank, according to Palestinian sources. The British government has expressed “deep concern” over Israel’s military operations, calling for an urgent de-escalation.
A statement from the Foreign Office acknowledged Israel’s right to self-defense but voiced alarm over civilian casualties and the damage to infrastructure.
